Scope. The stats show that the formal crowd-funding campaigns that tend to be the most successful are related to tech, games, film/TV, and content with established brands (I’m looking at you, Reading Rainbow). This is just a bunch of books – and the funding goal ain’t that high – so I wanted to keep the focus on close friends, industry peers, and hardcore fans of my previous work with this more personal approach.

Now…if the series takes off, and there’s a rabid audience eager to fund the launch of a full blown transmedia experience of the narrative world? Then you’ll see Shadowland on Kickstarter in a big way. Count on it.

With the new year fast approaching, I find another journey is on the verge of ending; I’m about to complete the first draft of my debut novel. For better or worse, I’m trying to see the accomplishment for what it is, and release any and all expectations surrounding it. And with that? Well, I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t getting a smidgen excited. But just a smidgen…or two. ;)

I’ve been reading a lot lately, and find that many of the established series limit their protagonist’s emotional range and ‘stakes’ (at least until later instalments), while choosing instead to focus on ‘world-building’, large character rosters, and causal plot triggers.

So here’s my question: do you think that issues like self-worth, abandonment, betrayal, extreme doubt/terror, and the like are exclusively an ‘adult’ domain? I ask because, with the end in sight, I’m seeing that my tale is pretty darn dense with complex emotions already — things I personally experienced as a child — and the feeling I have now is that this dynamic has entrenched itself as the bedrock of the greater (ie: 5 volume) narrative.

Without high stakes and real struggle, isn’t a story merely ‘stuff happening in an interesting place, with random people’???

Like this:

These days, those ‘in the know’ say that it’s all about establishing your personal brand. That potential partners and collaborators and clients need to know who you are, what you do, and where you stand professionally. And this ‘you-ness’ needs to be infused in everything you touch: your website, logos and imagery, promo materials, and especially your work.

And, as you can see from the shot above (and my url), I’m down with that*. There’s nothing wrong with a little self-pimping, as long as it’s aligned with the spirit of one’s services and skills. At the same time, I also believe that it’s okay to blur the lines between business and personality – hence ‘personal brand’. By exposing different facets of yourself, you improve the chance of connecting on more (and perhaps deeper) levels with potential partners. Which can only lead to a more satisfying relationship long-term, with fewer creative clashes and unpleasant surprises in the cards.

That’s why I’m not exactly shy with the social media presence. Do I compartmentalize? Absolutely. But it’s not like the Facebook timeline is hidden (even if I do go on regular extended ‘hiatuses’). And Twitter‘s out there for everyone to see, where I showcase my love of weird film/TV, mixed martial arts, and naughty comedians with wild abandon. Which ties into a not-so-secret Tumblr feed, chock full of candid pics, short stories, and the occasional NSFW animated GIF. And that page has been known to feature late-night ‘confessionals’ and small video experiments from my YouTube channel.

We all have so many sides to ourselves. Combined, these tell our story. And just like the transmedia principles I work with, I believe that the more we’re willing to share of ourselves – the more facets we cut, polish, and shed light upon – the more we’re able to shine.

As promised, it’s time for our first Transmedia Case Study (TCS). In this bi-weekly series, I’ll be digging into a recognizable Big Media property – a major film, broadcast TV show, published book series, AAA videogame, popular comic book, indy/cult hit, or even a beloved consumer brand – and evaluating the effectiveness of its transmedia campaign. To get things rolling, let’s start with an example of transmedia done right. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you…GAME OF THRONES.

It’s a property close to my heart. I read the first book in the early 90’s, and George R.R Martin’s fascinating tale of political intrigue, medieval warfare, and ‘mature fantasy’ captured me in its singular gravity. Sadly, ‘life’ got in the way (as it so often does), and with no widespread Internets to keep abreast of series developments, A Song of Ice and Fire fell off the narrative radar. But my time in Westeros would not be forgotten…

Flash-forward nearly 20 years.

I caught wind of the show going into development at HBO in 2007. My biggest concern – you know, aside from the obvious ‘How the Hell are they going to pull off the sheer scope on TV???’ – was with audience awareness. Sure, the books were best-sellers – and ‘fantasy’ had gotten a much-needed boost thanks to Tolkien going mainstream – but what about the masses? How were they going to reach the kind of audience numbers that would keep a show like this on the air, justify the hefty per-episode budgets, and make it must-see appointment television?

The glorious absurdity of it immediately struck me, so I made a playful (yet completely throwaway) comment, as I often do when cat wackiness is involved.

Within a few hours, some of myfriends were commenting on the picture – one which I hadn’t officially ‘shared’ yet. Another friend one-upped the absurdity quotient by saying, “This needs to be a religion…”. I joked back that it would make the perfect stained glass window in our future church.

A few hours later, an old associate from my game industry days posted this: